The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival is the place to be on October 5 and 6, 2013!

Celebrate and be inspired; it’s the 15th anniversary of ‘The Festival that Stinks,’ consistently rated in the Top Three Local Festivals by the Valley Advocate ‘Best Of’ readers poll. And, the ‘buck drops here!’ to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this fully volunteer organized, community revitalizing event, during the weekend a small plane will take off from Orange’s very own airport and drop 1,500 ‘Garlic and Arts Bucks’ from the sky to help everyone enjoy the wonderful wares of the festival exhibitors and support local!

There’s something for everyone at this fabulous family destination, held on a beautiful historic farm in Orange, MA. Buy local, be local: support the bounty of over 100 booths featuring juried regional artists, farmers, and community organizations. All ages gain creative inspiration from an array of on-going and scheduled demonstrations. Watch leatherwork or wool spinning, press cider and learn to grow garlic, learn to entice pollinators or keep chickens, relax at a healing arts booth, and see skilled local craftspeople timber framing, milling lumber and turning bowls.

The fall foliage and beautiful rolling fields of the historic Forster family farm create a relaxing setting for fabulous entertainment. Get the full schedule of festival events at garlicandarts.org, but here’s a taste: The 2013 main stage line-up includes: Inside/Out Dance Company, Celtic Heels, The Pangeans, The Equalites, Crow’s Rebellion, Gaia Roots, and The Impulse Ensemble. Family activities have expanded to the ‘North End’ festival field where a big canopy will be filled with storytelling, crafts activities, face painting, and dance and movement performances for kids and families. Over 30 spoken word artists organized by Human Error Publishing emerge out of the woods and onto the stage in the food court to season your meal with poetry and song.

To fill your belly as well as soul, fabulous food vendors fill four food courts with amazing local, garlic and savory dishes that transcend your average fair fare. In the cooking demo tent, chefs fromThe Gill Tavern, Stockbridge Farm, The Kitchen Garden, Fireside Bar and Grill, The Farm Table and the Rendezvous will arouse your own garlic and farm-fresh creations. After you eat, enjoy a ‘Gardens not Garbage’ installation created by Seeds of Solidarity to learn how the festival- known for producing only 3 bags of trash for 10,000 people- instead generates compost sufficient to make 20 local community gardens! Orange is the New Green. There’s an incredible line-up of renewable energy and local living workshops that will energize and transform your lifestyle. Add to all this garlic games galore on the main field, a chance to try your hand at disc golf, or for those who dare, the famous raw garlic eating contest.

All this for an inflation busting, family friendly admission of $5.00 per day for adults, $8.00 for a weekend pass, and kids 12 and under are always free. Vibrant with creative culture, sense of community, family fun and skills for local living, the festival has been likened to ‘a giant family picnic where everyone gets along.’

To Get to the Festival: Take Route 2 to Exit 16, or Route 202 from the south, and follow the signs to the main parking area and shuttle lot on the corner of Holtshire and Fairman Roads to catch a free, five- minute ride right to the festival entrance gate. Parking at the festival site is reserved for carpools of three or more or those with handicap tags. Or Hike! Exercise enthusiasts can hike 45 minutes from the shuttle lot through the forest and over the hills to the festival via the Chestnut Hill trails. Get full directions and travel details at www.garlicandarts.org /directions/. No pets are allowed on the festival site or left in cars. Visit the website at www.garlicandarts.org for the complete 2013 schedules of exhibitors, music, entertainment, kids activities and games, chef demos, renewable energy, local living and healing arts workshops.

Help us write the Book of Garlic! Bring your favorite garlic recipes, reminiscences about the festival (past and present), photos or drawings to be included in this exciting, if stinky, community project. Submissions will be accepted at several festival locations or email thebookofgarlic@gmail.com through February 2014.

A fully volunteer committee of friends and neighbors, and Seeds of Solidarity Education Center, a non-profit organization, organize the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival. Supporters include the Forster/Stewart Family, local businesses, and over 200 community volunteers the festival weekend. Festival proceeds keep the event sustainable and affordable, and support the festival’s community grant program for regional arts, agriculture, health, and energy projects.

Join Us in 2015!

Help make the festival happen!

Sign up to be part of our volunteer army. Volunteers receive a free T-shirt and admission to the festival. Teams of 8 or more volunteers who work for a full day can receive a $250 donation to the non-profit or their choice. Be a part of the festival that stinks!